Veracruz vs Tijuana Xolos: A dire need for points

VERACRUZ - Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles currently find themselves in the southern port of Veracruz. On Saturday afternoon they'll take on Veracruz in week nine action of the LIGA Bancomer MX.

The match is sceduled for Saturday March 1st at 5:00pm local time (3:00pm Pacific Time) from the Estadio Luis Pirata Fuente in Veracruz.

Both teams come into the match indesperate need of all three points. The home side Veracruz is now deeply submerged in the relegation battle after dropping several games in the past weeks. They now sit second from bottom in the percentage table (relegation standard in Mexico) only above Atlante.

Club Tijuana on the other hand are also desperate to pick up a win on the road. They have not been able to get a victory away from home in over a year now. The weaken and struggling opposition should offer Tijuana a good chance to put an end to this unfortunate streak.

If the pressure of not winning away from home in over a year wasn't enough for the Tijuana Xolos, you can add the fact that they have now lost the one aspect that kept them afloat; their impressive home undefeated streak. Xolos had accumulated a 17 game unbeaten streak in the Estadio Caliente with matches through three different domestic league matches (Clausura 2014, Apertura 2013, and Clausura 2013), as well as international competitions like the 2014 Copa Libertadores and the 2013/14 CONCACAF Champion's League.

That streak was seen cut down by Chiapas FC last Friday night with a shocking 0-3 result in which the visitors took advantage of some lax defending from the home side, as well as their inability to put away goal scoring opportunities. Something which has hindered the Xolos all season long.

Xoloitzcuintles team captain Javier Gandolfi mentioned during the week that the team is not doing that bad and that they are a mere point away from the playoff zone. Which will have Tijuana more than motivated to end the negative away streak and remain within the top eight teams in the league table.